The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-12-22
IMPORTANCE OF SPRING ELEC
TIONS.

There has been for the past year
more or less talk about the abolition of
the spring elections and elect township
and other officers at the annual State
election. Governor Foraker in his
message of last year recommended the
change, and stated that our constitu-
ton had been so amended that it could
be accomplished by single act of the
Legislature. But none of the legisla-
tors deemed his recommendation as
being entitled to any consideration for
there was no bill introduced in either
branch of the General Assembly to
effect such change. The State
Grange, which met in this city a few
days ago, has revived this question to
some extent by passing resolution,
asking the Legislature to modify our
election laws so that our local officers
be elected at the State elections, and
thus obviGte the expense of the annual
spring elections.
Spring elections are entirely local
affair in which local candidates are
elected upon iieeeeal issues, and they
should be absolutely divorced from
State and national elections. 1t is a
notable fact that good men are elected
to Office and as good methods prevail at
the spring elections as at the State
elections. Rarely do we hear of ballot
box -stuffing and tally sheet t-forgeries
in spring elections, unless it be in some
large and corrupt city, and in no cleo
tion is the will of the people so reVer-
emily obeyed as in spring elections. 1t
is not so much political affair as simply
alocal matter, the voter being fully ac-
quainted with all the candidates on the
various tickets; he is ruled by his own
private judgment.in the matter instead
of the fierce passions and implacable
preiudices of partisan politics which
swell to flOodtides in State and national
elections
Just what the Grangers of Ohio are
clamoring for is what the people of
New York are endeavoring to rid them
selves of. New York has long been
overridden with this complexity ofelec-
tions. and Governor Hill very wisely
recommended in his last message the
| passage of law that would give the
people the opportunity to elect their
local officers at separate election. The
combination of the local and State elec-
tiOns would beget an immense amount
| of trading, State and national candi-
dates would be traded for local candi.
dates and vice versa. twas this piece
of election jugglery that defeated Gen.
eral Hancock for President in 1880 and
came near defeating Grover Cleveland
in 1884.
| The reason given by the Governor
and the Grangers for abolishing the
Spring election is that it would curtail
great expense to the State, but we fail
to see how little, if any, expense, could
be saved. Election officers are paid fol
the time consumed in counting the
votes, and the combining of the two
elections would necessarily double the
work of the election officers and conse
quently double their pay. So no pecu
mary advantage could be derived from
abolishing the Spring election unless &
law were passed reducing the pay Of
election officers, and this could be dont
| Just as effectually without abolishinl
the Spring election. Frequency O.
elections is absolutely essential to a re
publican form of government, and thu
4 saving of a few dollars of expense in M
way compensates the people for thu
loss of single right guaranteed then
Il by statute law.